Parkland School Shooting: Justice Department Settles 40 Lawsuits

PARKLAND, FL — The Department of Justice settled 40 civil cases related to the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, the DOJ announced Wednesday in a news release.

The settlements in the 40 cases total $127.5 million and don't signify an admission of guilt in the deadliest high school shooting in United States history, officials said.

The terms of the settlement were approved March 1, but the cases will remain open for 45 days until the Department of Treasury has time to process payments to the plaintiffs, court documents show. The plaintiffs will dismiss their cases upon receipt of the settlement proceeds.

Survivors and families of the 16 people killed sued the government late in 2018 for damages following the shooting.

A former student walked into Stoneman Douglas on Valentine's Day in 2018 armed with a rifle and ammunition and opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon, killing 17 and injuring 17 more. In October 2021, the shooter pleaded guilty to 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted first-degree murder.